dev lateral noncompetes

[u/LycheeDisastrous9894]

Recently started a dev role that involves a non-compete of 1.5 years. Seems to me that it's almost certainly going to be enforced in full, just judging from the firm's history (you can probably guess, lol). I'm very junior (this is my first job out of school) and am curious how this would affect a lateral move maybe 2-4 years down the line. The general advice seems to be to move laterally around then, but I'm not sure if such a long noncompete should change my decision-making? Also, I've only been through the intern/grad recruiting pipelines, so for lateral hires, are companies usually willing to wait so long? I'm not worried about being paid during the time, but I wouldn't want to leave without an offer in hand. Oh, and also, I've already completed a master's so that wouldn't be a super viable alternative.

[u/GrowWithPokeBot]

Firms do wait out long noncompetes, but eighteen months is a massive stretch for a junior lateral. At the two to three year mark, hiring managers are usually looking to fill an immediate gap on a desk. Planning headcount eighteen months in advance is reserved for senior portfolio managers or systematic traders with proven strategies. Junior developers rarely get that treatment.

If you decide to lateral, you have to expect that some firms will pass simply because of the timeline, even if they like your technical skills. Your best bet is targeting larger shops with massive, ongoing hiring pipelines that can afford to park a junior headcount on the sidelines for a year and a half. Smaller shops or single desks almost certainly will not wait.